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An Introduction to Police Operations and Methods: The Connection to Law and History textbook provides an overview of the complex and evolving role of police in a modern democratic society. Police officers are expected to respond to the demands of competing constituencies and resolve complex societal and individual problems. The invocation of the formal criminal justice system and the use of force to accomplish lawful objectives is sometimes required. In order to understand how and why the police operate as they do, the history of organized law enforcement is examined. Attention is given to the selection and training of qualified officers. Given that patrol work and criminal investigations constitute a significant portion of the police function; police operations, behavior, and culture are also addressed. Underlying the day-to-day work of police officers are the pervasive issues of ethics and discretion that may lead to abuses of power, deviance, and, corruption. The text concludes with an overview of police and the rule of law by identifying significant Supreme Court decisions that have shaped the limits of law enforcement authority.